Integrated stowage bin assembly

Abstract

A stowage bin assembly includes a bin bucket assembly having a bin bucket which includes at least one sidewall, the at least one sidewall including a notch and the at least one sidewall having an interior surface. The stowage bin assembly also includes at least one hinge assembly. The at least one hinge assembly includes a housing which is received in the notch, the housing having an interior surface, wherein the interior surface of the housing is substantially flush with the interior surface of the at least one sidewall when the housing of the at least one hinge assembly is received in the notch. The stowage bin assembly also includes a stowage bin door pivotably coupled to the bin bucket assembly via the at least one hinge assembly, the stowage bin door moveable between an open position and a closed position. Related components, assemblies, and devices are also provided.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A stowage bin assembly comprising:
 a bin bucket assembly including a bin bucket having at least one sidewall, the at least one sidewall including a notch, the at least one sidewall having an interior surface; 
 at least one hinge assembly having a housing which is received in the notch, the housing having an interior surface, the interior surface of the housing being flush with the interior surface of the at least one sidewall when the housing of the at least one hinge assembly is received in the notch; and 
 a stowage bin door pivotably coupled to the bin bucket assembly via the at least one hinge assembly, the stowage bin door moveable between an open position and a closed position. 
 
     
     
       2. The stowage bin assembly of  claim 1  wherein the at least one hinge assembly includes a self-opening mechanism. 
     
     
       3. The stowage bin assembly of  claim 2  wherein the self-opening mechanism includes:
 a rotary crank having a pivot pin aperture, a center of which defines a pivot axis; and 
 a pivot pin received in the pivot pin aperture, the pivot pin sized and shaped to pivotably couple the at least one hinge assembly to the stowage bin door. 
 
     
     
       4. The stowage bin assembly of  claim 3  wherein the self-opening mechanism includes:
 an opening aperture disposed in the rotary crank; and 
 a rotary pin received in the opening aperture, the rotary pin configured to allow the rotary crank to rotatably move in the opening aperture to counteract gravitational torque when the stowage bin door moves between the open position and the closed position. 
 
     
     
       5. The stowage bin assembly of  claim 4  wherein the self-opening mechanism includes:
 a biasing device coupled to the rotary crank, the biasing device applying a force that counteracts the gravitation torque when the stowage bin door moves between the open and closed positions. 
 
     
     
       6. The hinge assembly of  claim 2  wherein the self-opening mechanism includes a biasing device which is directly coupled to a rotary pin, and the rotary pin pivotably coupling the biasing device to a rotary crank. 
     
     
       7. The stowage bin assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a damper positioned in the housing, the damper sized and shaped to control a rate of pivotable movement of the stowage bin door between the open and closed positions. 
 
     
     
       8. The stowage bin assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more alignment features. 
 
     
     
       9. The stowage bin assembly of  claim 8  wherein the one or more alignment features include one or more slots disposed in a coupling flange of the housing, the coupling flange fixedly coupleable to the stowage bin door. 
     
     
       10. The stowage bin assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a support plate sized and shaped to fixedly couple the housing to the at least one sidewall. 
 
     
     
       11. The stowage bin assembly of  claim 10  wherein the support plate includes one or more alignment features. 
     
     
       12. A hinge assembly that pivotably couples a stowage bin door to a stowage bin bucket assembly, the hinge assembly comprising:
 a housing; 
 a housing cover plate that couples to the housing, an interior cavity disposed between the housing and the housing cover plate; and 
 a self-opening mechanism disposed in the interior cavity, the self-opening mechanism including: 
 a rotary crank having an opening aperture; 
 a rotary pin received in the opening aperture; and 
 a biasing device directly coupled to the rotary pin, the biasing device urging the rotary crank to move about the rotary pin within the opening aperture to counteract a gravitational torque applied by the stowage bin door when the stowage bin door moves between an open position and a closed position. 
 
     
     
       13. The hinge assembly of  claim 12  wherein the
 rotary crank includes an opening member which has the opening aperture. 
 
     
     
       14. The hinge assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a damper positioned in the interior cavity, the damper sized and shaped to control a rate of pivotable movement of the stowage bin door between the open and closed positions. 
 
     
     
       15. The hinge assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 one or more alignment features. 
 
     
     
       16. The hinge assembly of  claim 15  wherein the one or more alignment features include at least one of:
 one or more slots located in a coupling flange of the housing; and 
 one or more slots located in a support plate sized and shaped to fixedly couple the housing to a sidewall of the stowage bin bucket assembly. 
 
     
     
       17. The hinge assembly of  claim 12  wherein the biasing device includes a first member, a second member directly coupled to the rotary pin, and a spring coupled to the first and second members.